Barnevik passes the baton

26 Feb 2014

Barnevik passes the baton to longtime board member Bruce Grant

Hand in Hand International is announcing the appointment of Bruce Grant as Chairman. Bruce replaces Hand in Hand group co-founder Percy Barnevik, who will continue to provide support as Honorary Chairman of Hand in Hand International.

We are also delighted to announce the appointment of Josefine Lindänge as CEO. Josefine takes over from Sven Sandström, who is stepping down after a career that included three years at Hand in Hand and, before that, 30 years at the World Bank – the last 10 as Managing Director.

“International development has reached a turning point. Now more than ever, job creation is rightfully considered indispensable,” said Bruce, who joined the board in 2009. “Hand in Hand’s mission to create 10 million jobs by 2020 is both ambitious and achievable. I look forward to helping us get there.”

A serial entrepreneur, Bruce owns and leads a group of companies including the consultancy firm Applied Value LLC, which advises global Fortune 500 companies on turnarounds in North America, Europe and China. Earlier in his career he worked within the Kinnevik Group, holding the post of Chairman of Tele2. He has been involved in philanthropy for the past 20 years.

Josefine Lindänge | Chief Executive | Hand in Hand International

Josefine, who has been Chief Operating Officer since 2011, said: “Thanks to my colleagues’ work to date, Hand in Hand has achieved outstanding results. As we enter into our second decade, I am hugely excited about contributing to continue on this growth trajectory.”

Josefine joined Hand in Hand in 2008 and later played a decisive role in establishing Hand in Hand Eastern Africa. She holds a B.Sc. and H.Sc. in Development Economics and International Economics from Lund University in Sweden and studied strategic leadership for microfinance at Harvard Business School.